We just put this tv up on display on our store next to the Samsung F8000 and wow does it ever look good! The viewing angle on this tv basically unlimited. PQ is amazing also. The design is truely elegant, I think I'll either buy this or the new XBRs when they come in. If you have not seen it yet, I would definitely call around to see who has it in stock. Pricing is at $1998.

This tv is going to fill a nitch market. There are many people who prefer IPS panels for their strengths over VA panels. To each their own.

I agree UFO that w950b will fill the nitch market and people will buy it and not care about black levels ect but its just sad that this tv is the follow up to the W900A and Sony didn't capitalize on the W9's success by making the w950b better. In my opinion they missed a great opportunity. That being said I just cant understand why in the world they went with a "Wedge" design on some of their 2014 TV's. I know its for better Audio but damn, to me its an ugly design. But as you said UFO: "To each their own" and best of luck to people who buy it.

I have 2013 Sony with a Samsung SPVA panel and had a 2013 LG with an LG IPS panel . I watch the Sony and my Sammie Plasma and gave the LG to my son . I agree about preferring the VA type panels in my experience limited as that may be .

ofc I haven't seen the Sony mentioned here either . Of the 5 sets here 3 are SPVA panels one is Plasma and one ips . The ips is bottom of the list P.Q wise at least of the sets here anyway .

I decided to give this TV a shot since the 900a just isnt available in my area at all.

Colors are fantastic as the reviews say and it's certainly an upgrade from my old LN52A650. Whites are really white. Amazing clarity.

It's also true what they say about the blacks, however. Not very black. That's the one thing that my old samsung from 6 years ago did better. I'm going to try what one review suggested: Turning LED Dynamic control off, turning on the black corrector and using advanced contrast enhancer on low. We'll see if that restores the blacks without losing too much shadow detail. Probably wont have time to try until tomorrow.

He is not talking about native black level, just image processing. Software can not change a hardware based issue. IPS panels are great for viewing angles and color saturation but fail at contrast and black levels.

I did return the TV today. I just hate those milky blacks. It's fine in medium to bright scenes, but dark scenes suffer. I'm going to wait another few months and then check out the options again. However, even so, the 950b makes the old LN52A650 I'm returning to look like utter ****. I didnt know what I was missing.

The colors are really striking on the 950b. MGS Ground Zeroes looked great. The colors looked so deep and full. People may complain about wide color gamuts not conforming to old standards resulting in "oversaturation," but I think it looks so much better. Can't wait for new, wider color standards to take effect in the coming years. It makes the old "correct" standards look dull and bland. It was a really sad moment seeing the game in my old TV again.

I do hope Sony can sort this out in the future, I like some of their extra features that their competitors dont seem to have. However right now, when I look at the TVs in person, the Samsung tvs look better. Particularly the Samsung 8000 that they had on display. Maybe it was the settings/lighting, but those blacks even put the 900a they had on display to shame. The 900a had a lot more backlight bleed than the 8000 which had blacks as dark as the frame in store lighting.

This is so disappointing. It looks like last years's 65W850A will be the clear PQ winner over the 2014 Flagship 2K TV.
This is so frustrating, because it looks like we've stepped so far back in blacks levels & PQ this year that we would be thrilled with a panel as good as the 2013 when 2015 models roll around "next year". This makes it difficult to understand spending 3/4 the price for any new set.

Does anyone have any ideas or theories on what or if SONY will try to release a genuine 2014 flagship 2K TV toward the end of the year, or do IPS panels have us all doomed in regards of a real theater like experience/expectation from SONY this year?

I thought Sony is using mostly AUO MVA panels in the 2014 sets although the black levels in the review of the 955b above are more indicative of an LGD IPS panel .

They are using AUO and Sharp for certain models, but LG is providing IPS panels for their passive displays. Sony should be using AMTRAN IPS panels for the passive tech, last years Vizio M-Series had some decent black levels for an IPS panel. If you follow most review sites for the last few years LG has ranked lowest in contrast/black level performance of any IPS panel manufacturer.

The Sony KDL-55W955 uses an IPS LCD panel from LG Display, and our worst fear was realised. With [LED Dynamic Control] switched off, the TV’s native black level post-calibration came in at a rather uninspiring 0.202 cd/m2 as measured on the centre black patch in a 4×4 ANSI checkerboard pattern, and also a full-field video black screen with auto-dimming defeated by asking the W95B to display some lit pixels (e.g. a Blu-ray player’s pause icon).http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/kdl55w955b-201403103661.htm

If I read that previously obviously I didn't remember it . OTOH they said it otherwise makes a very good picture with some adjustments .
Good to know at least that the passive 3D Sony's are LGD panels.

I have a Sammie plasma for the main and a 2013 Sony KDL 40R450A with a Samsung rear LED /SPVA 60Hz /5000:1 native contrast spec panel in my bedroom it's reasonably decent all in all for a lower price Bravia model .It has decent blacks and is good at night . It's better or equal to most of the other 40" - 42" sets at least that I saw including the 40-42" 2014 E -series FALD Visio's . I just bought the Sony in Feb 14.

I saw a new Samsung UN55H8000 at a friends house recently I was impressed ( it was not calibrated either ) OTOH I haven't seen the 2014 Sonys .
hopefully they have some stuff with decent VA panels .

OTOH I also have an LG42LN5300 with an LGD IPS panel. I gave it to my son for his room it's not altogether terrible for what it is but the Sony is much better. I couldn't get with the LG . ofc the Sammie plasma is best of what is here anyway .

This is so disappointing. It looks like last years's 65W850A will be the clear PQ winner over the 2014 Flagship 2K TV.
This is so frustrating, because it looks like we've stepped so far back in blacks levels & PQ this year that we would be thrilled with a panel as good as the 2013 when 2015 models roll around "next year". This makes it difficult to understand spending 3/4 the price for any new set.

Does anyone have any ideas or theories on what or if SONY will try to release a genuine 2014 flagship 2K TV toward the end of the year, or do IPS panels have us all doomed in regards of a real theater like experience/expectation from SONY this year?

As far as a "a genuine 2014 flagship 2K TV toward the end of the year" from Sony goes people are going to be stuck with the W950B. I believe its because of the negative reviews the W950B is getting we are seeing Sony extending the W900's production until the end of the year. Sony dropped the ball with the W950B, a tv that was supposed to replace the W900 and so far it has failed to deliver on its promise to be better then the W9. IPS panels may have better viewing angles but they suffer when it comes to contrast and Black Levels. And whats the deal with the wedge design of Sony's 2014 models? I know they did it for better audio but really? What an ugly design if you ask me and anyone who loves true surround sound will either get an AVR and a good set of speakers or at least a good sound bar to go along with the tv! Tv audio is notorious for either sounding horrible or at the very least middle of the road. That all being said I believe the W9 is Sony's best tv yet and their 2014 models don't come close except maybe their 4K sets and that's by a very thin margin.